Eggleston inspired by mom’s memory
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/05/2011 (5643 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
GARY, Ind. — Aharon Eggleston has worn the number ’24’ his entire baseball career. Until Tuesday.
Eggleston has decided to pay tribute to his late mother, Deedee, this season by wearing the number ’91’ and the Goldeyes outfielder did so for the first time here at U.S. Steel Yard Tuesday afternoon in a 5-4 pre-season loss to the Gary SouthShore RailCats.
“She passed away last Sept. 1 — so 9/1,” Eggleston explained. “It’s just in memory of her. She was always my biggest fan and she pretty much taught me how to play baseball. So I’m doing it for her.”
Deedee Eggleston was just 60 when she died suddenly at her home in Las Vegas. Eggleston said the family had no warning anything was wrong and her death sent them all reeling.
Eggleston was with the Goldeyes on the final road trip of the season when he received the news and he left the club immediately to fly home.
“It was rough because I hadn’t seen her since last April and I never got a chance to say goodbye,” he said.
The void was palpable as the family gathered over Christmas.
“It was our first Christmas and New Year’s as a family without her and so we just spent a lot of time together,” he said. “We were having dinners together three or four times a week. It’s just better then sitting at home and you start thinking about things and how things could have went different.
“But she’s with me, she’s with me every day.”
Eggleston, 29, says his mother was a competitive softball player.
“She played semi-pro softball in California,” he explained. “She actually went into labour with me at a softball tournament. She’s the one who taught me to play and she would want me to keep playing.”
And play on is just what he’ll do. Eggleston was one of the premier hitters in the Northern League the past couple seasons — so much so that his .311 batting average last year, posted amidst a season of nagging injuries, was actually considered a bit of an off-year.
But with a new season, new number and new position — he’s moving from centre field to left field this season — Eggleston said he’s fired up to move forward again.
— Wiecek